Snow has started to pack down a bit from wind and sun. Snowpit was below the leeward (east) side of the ridge line.

Red Flags

Red Flags:

Recent Avalanches

Poor Snowpack Structure

Red Flags Comments:

Recent avalanche on similar slope one chute over. Snowpit showed the facet layer we have been dealing with all winter.

Avalanche Problem #1

Type:

Cornice

Trend:

Increasing Danger

Problem #1 Comments:

Wind has formed cornices in the area and with the good amount of new snow in the last week, some of these cornices are getting big. Only saw one that had broken off a small chunk but did not cause an avalanche. With wind Friday and lighter wind predicted throughout the week, this is a problem that could further develop into something bigger.

Avalanche Problem #2

Type:

Persistent Slab

Trend:

Same

Problem #2 Comments:

The snowpit showed two very distinct layers: facets and light but compacted snow. While it did take quite a lot to break the ECT, when it did break it was on the facet/crust and new snow layer. The facets are creating a persistent slab problem that could be very reactive if the conditions are right.

Snow Profile

Aspect:

East

Elevation:

10100

Slope Angle:

40

Comments:

Snow depth: 110 cm
Ground to 45 cm: Sugary facets. When I dug the pit, the facets were falling out of the snowpack.
45cm to 110 cm: A single, cohesive layer made of dense (compacted) snow, mainly from the last storms. Layer density was fist.
Did an ECT and it did not break, even from the shoulder. Curious as to what would make this fail, I kept going and eventually got a fairly sudden break on the facet/crust layer and the top cohesive layer.

Conditions are quite variable between fairly close locations. I had two small sluff avalanches occur today in chutes. While small, these could have easily knocked me down and carried me a bit. The snowpack is still shallow and although an avalanche may be small, hitting a rock or two can make the ride much worse. Below is a photo from a natural persistent slab avalanche in a chute off of the Twin Lakes Pass North Ridge that did not attach to the avalanche report I submitted.

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